Traffic laws in most jurisdictions require vehicle drivers to yield to emergency signals—particularly those emitted by emergency vehicles, like ambulances and police cars that are in the process of responding to an emergency situation. Such traffic laws prioritize access to public roads for emergency vehicles, and allow such emergency vehicles to respond quickly to emergency situations in which minutes or even seconds of traffic delay may mean the difference between life and death. Such emergency vehicles typically make their presence known to drivers by generating emergency signals, such as sirens and flashing lights, that are designed to be seen and heard easily. However, human drivers are fallible and may not notice such emergency signals, particular in high-noise or low-visibility environments that may obscure such emergency signals. Moreover, even a driver who notices an emergency signal may not be able to quickly and effectively locate the source and direction of the emergency signal; or may encounter confusion in determining how best to respond to the emergency signal. The problem of correctly detecting and responding to emergency signals is compounded in the situation of autonomous vehicles. (As used herein, an autonomous vehicle can be one in which one or more driving operations traditionally performed by a human driver may instead be performed by a computer system.) It is an intent of the present invention to enable or augment the ability of a vehicle operator (whether human or autonomous) to safely and reliably detect emergency signals and respond appropriately.